In today’s Election Countdown 2012 news: Amir Khadir, the only Québec solidaire MNA in the National Assembly, was one of 65 protesters who were handcuffed and detained Tuesday night; following police brutality, voters in Fullerton, California, ousted city council members in hopes for future reforms; in order to win, Elizabeth Warren’s campaign must push more against Scott Brown’s doublespeak, and more.

WI. Job’s comforters: Barney Frank: “picked a fight they shouldn’t have picked.” Ed Rendell: “dumb political fight.” D operative Begala: “I don’t think it would have made the difference. But it’s kind of like Thanksgiving at your in-laws. If you go, it doesn’t guarantee it’s going to be fun, but if you don’t go there’s going to be hell to pay.”

AFT Official: “It’s pretty clear that the voices of ordinary citizens are at permanent risk of being drowned out by uninhibited corporate spending.” Why no voter registration, then? Lori Compas: “We need to get money out of politics.” Or we need to get more people in. Again, voter registration? Pierce: “Very soon, there is not going to be a single political campaign, no matter how small, that directly affects anything having to do with America’s corporate power, which is practically everything, that will not be swamped by anonymous cash laundered through bagmen organized under the banner of some nobly monickered political whorehouse.” And registration? Obama Campaign Manager Messina: “Money swung the election.” Registration?!

The slap: “The woman [who slapped Barrett], who was immediately identified, was upset that Barrett was conceding while people were still trying to vote.” That upsets me, too. “The governor planned to meet with his cabinet Wednesday and then to invite all members of the Legislature to meet as soon as next week over burgers, brats and ‘maybe a little bit of good Wisconsin beer.’” WaPo’s Meyerson reframes: “Walker remains governor, but Ds complete a stunning, unprecedented three-seat swing of the state senate to grab the majority there.” “The numbers showed a surprising amount of partisan crossover between the recall race and the presidential race — in Obama’s and Walker’s favor.” Too bad labor’s leaders aren’t openly gay. If they were, they’d have asked Obama if he wanted to lose WI in November. And then they’d have made their threat stick. Na ga happen.

Grand Bargain™-brand Catfood Watch. Clive Crook, idiot (in the Greek sense): “Congress needs to combine budgetary ease in the short run with a credible commitment to reduce debt in the long run. Neither is any use without the other. The blueprint for this exists in the Simpson-Bowles plan.” How does a popularly elected legislature achieve a “credible commitment” to our banksters? They’ll game it!

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